Sewing devices



United States Patent Inventor John Anderson Oram Osborne Cottage, HeathRoad, Leighton Buzzard, England App]. No. 796,677

Filed Feb. 5, 1969 Oct. 20, 1970 Feb. 10, 1968 Great Britain 6,717/68Patented Priority SEWING DEVICES 10 Claims, 17 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl .4

Int. Cl

Field of Search t.

112/154 D05b l/OU 112/154, 93, I39

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,506,506 5/1950 Ketterer ll2/l 39 3,224,397 12/1965 Van Ness l 12/154 Primary ExaminerPatrick D.Lawson Att0rneyWoodhams, Blanchard and Flynn ABSTRACT: Sewing mechanismin which each loop of thread is locked against withdrawal by a retainingpeg The pegs are arranged in an interconnected series and located one ata time on a peg-holding member. A severing device severs each peg fromthe series and a peg-ejector puts each peg into its loop. Shuttles andshuttle spools are avoided and all the mechanism can be on one and thesame side ofthe cloth.

Patented Oct. 20, 1970 3,534,695

Sheet 3 014 M Ma) SEWING DEVICES The present invention relates to sewingdevices.

At the present time a number of problems have arisen in relation tosewing devices. For example developments in techniques such as computercontrols need, for their full realisation in applications to sewing,stitching mechanisms providing facilities which cannot be realised withexisting sewing mechanisms. For instance, rapid sewing under closecontrol can be effected but frequent reloading of shuttle spools reducesgreatly the speed otherwise realisable with computer controls. Inanother example it would be of considerable advantage if the sewingmechanism could all lie on one side of the material to be stitched. Thisis particularly the case where the material to be stitched covers alarge area as in sails for yachts and in carpets.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved sewingmechanism whereby such problems can be solved.

According to the present invention there is provided sewing mechanism,wherein to form each stitch there is provided a needle-reciprocatingmechanism whereby a thread can be formed into a loop through material tobe stitched, a source of pegs so connected to one another as to form aninterconnected series, a peg-locating mechanism coupled to theneedie-reciprocating mechanism for operation in synchronism therewithand adapted to locate the leading peg of the series on or in apeg-holding member, a peg-severing mechanism coupled to theneedle-reciprocating mechanism for operation in synchronism therewithand arranged to sever the leading peg from the series of pegs, and anejector mechanism coupled to the needle-reciprocating mechanism foroperation in synchronism therewith and arranged to actuate the peg-holding member in such a manner that the peg lies in and trans verse to theloop of thread whereby the loop is locked against withdrawal. Thus noshuttle is required in putting the invention into effect and, as will bedescribed later, because of this the source of pegs, the peg-locatingmechanism, the peg-holding member, and the ejector mechanism can all beon the same side of the material as the needle-reciprocating mechanism.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with referenceto the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows schematically the general form of the stitch made byembodiments of the present invention,

FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 show one embodiment of the inventionusing two needles,

FIGS. 10, II, 12 and 13 show a second embodiment of the invention usingonly one needle, and

FIGS. 14, 15, 16 and 17 show another embodiment using only one needle.

Referring to FIG. I, this shows the form of stitch made by theembodiments described. Cloth 1 is stitched by loops 2 of thread 3passing through the cloth from one side and locked against withdrawal bypegs 4 of which there is one for each loop. Each peg is transverse toand lies in its associated loop as shown. This form of stitch is made bythe two-needle embodiment of FIGS. 2 to 9 and by the single-needleembodiments of FIGS. to 13 and 14 to 17.

Referring to the two-needle embodiment, FIG. 2 shows the manner in whicheach stitch is formed. The cloth 1 is pierced by a conventional needle 5which carries with it a conventional thread 2 through an eye 6 inaccordance with standard sewing practice.

A second needle 7 of tubular or channel section, or provided with asuitable recess below the point, and constituting a peg-holding membercarries a stiff peg 4 of plastic material. After the second needle 7 haspierced the cloth near to the needle 5 an ejector mechanism (describedlater) advances the peg 4 partly out of the needle 7 and into a loop 8of the thread 2 formed by the action of the needle 5. This loop isformed in conventional manner by reduction of tension in the threadduring the initial withdrawal movement of the needle 5.

The peg 4 has a series of annular grooves 9 along its length and the peg4 is so positioned as shown in FIG. 2 that the loop 8 of thread islocated around the central groove 9. As the tension in the thread isreestablished and both needles are withdrawn through the cloth, the peg4 is drawn firmly onto the surface of the cloth by the thread and theloop 8 is locked against withdrawal.

It will be appreciated that all the mechanisms for actuating the needles5 and 7 and the pegs 4 lies on one and the same side of the cloth. Asthere is no abutment on the other side of the cloth to hold it againstthe thrust of the needles as they pierce the material, provision must bemade to hold the cloth against the face of the machine adjacent toapertures in the face through which the needles 5 and 7 operate.

As shown in FIG. 3 this face 10 (shown as if made of transparentmaterial) has an aperture II for the thread-carrying needle 5 and anaperture 12 for the peg-holding needle 7. The aperture II can beadjusted in length by moving a slider 13 the end of which forms aserrated or otherwise high friction abutment 14. The slide 13 isarranged to be adjustable by movement parallel to the line of stitchingto permit the selection of the desired stitch length.

A finger 15, preferably with serrations coinciding with those on theabutment 14, is arranged below the surface 10 and serves to trap thethread 2 as is shown in FIG. 4 thus holding the cloth firmly against thesurface 10 while the two needles pierce the cloth.

Although the path of the needle 5 through the cloth I is shown in FIGS.2, 3 and 4 as substantially normal to the plane of the cloth, it canwith advantage be inclined as shown in FIG. 6 so as to minimise thetendency of the needles to hinge the cloth about the point at which itis anchored by the thread from the last completed stitch.

FIG. 4 shows the path of the thread from the reel 18 through a tensioner17 and then to a cyclic detension arm 16 that has imparted to it anupward movement to momentarily slacken the tension and allow the loop 8to form during the initial downward motion of the needle 5. From thecyclic detension arm 16 the thread passes up one side of the needle 5,through the needle eye 6, forms the loop 8 for the peg 4 (shown in FIG.2) and passes down the other side of the needle 5, under the finger 15and so to the last completed stitch.

As soon as the peg is located in the loop the two needles are withdrawnand the finger l5 commences to move on a roughly triangular path asshown by the broken lines and arrows in FIG. 5 which is a plan viewthrough the top of the machine.

When the needles have almost reached their lowermost position the needle5 is so positioned that the finger 15 can pass above it, picking up thetautened thread as shown in FIG. 7 and striking the thread back to trapit against the abutment I4 and thus moving the cloth relative to themechanism. This action can be assisted by reciprocating claws acting onthe underside of the cloth in accordance with orthodox sewing machinepractice.

The peg-holding needle may be straight and arranged to follow a linearsloping path, or as shown at 7 in FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 9 be curved andarranged to swing about a pivot 22 (FIG. 9) on its centre of curvature.

The pegs, shown in more detail in FIG. 8, may be of circular section inthe form of a grooved roller the six larger diameters 20 being separatedby necks of smaller diameter so as to have a greater grip on the weaveof the cloth being sewn. The central groove 9 is so shaped as to takethe thread 2. These pegs are preferably moulded in a material such asnylon and are interconnected by short integral filaments 19 so as toform an interconnected series that may be stored on a reel 31 shown inFIG. 9. The pegs will be slightly bent by being constrained to conformwith the curved bore of the needle 7 and will thus have a frictionalrestraint to prevent unwanted movement within the peg-holding needle 7.

As the needle 7 retracts from the cloth its flared lower end 2] permitsthe leading peg 23 of the series to enter the tube and a blade 24sliding in guide 25 severs the interconnecting filament 19. After thepeg-holding needle 7 has pierced the cloth 1 its motion is arrested byan arm 26 abutting onto a stop 27. An arm 28 constituting peg-locatingmechanism and eccentrically pivoted at 30 moves into the slot 29 pushingthe group of pegs contained within the tubular needle forward so thatthe peg nearest the needle tip is correctly positioned (as shown in FIG.2) within the loop 8.

The various mechanisms described must. of course. be operatedsynchronously with the mechanism for reciprocating the needle in orderthat the actions described shall take place in their correct sequence.The provision of suitable gears, cams, cranks, levers, links or othermeans necessary to convert the rotation of a drive motor into therequired sequence of actions can be arranged to suit design and need nodescription.

Referring now to the embodiment of FIGS. 10, 11, I2 and 13, FIG. shows apeg 32 the upper extremity of which forms a sharp point 33 suitable forpiercing the cloth being sewn. Such pegs are preferably moulded in ahard plastic such as nylon and are interconnected one to another at thepoints 34 and 35 the one illustrated having been severed from theadjoining peg by blade 43.

FIG. 11 is a plan view of a peg 32 as it would appear when pulled downinto the surface of the cloth being sewn by the thread 36. The end 41remote from the point 33 is narrower so that the peg may locate in aneedle-shank 37 (FIGS. l0, l2 and 13) the two together forming asmoothly contoured needle suitable for piercing a laminate of cloth. Thethread 36 passes up a shallow channel 38 on one side of needle shank 37,across the top within the gap between two tongues 39 and a recess 44 inthe peg 32 and on down a channel similar to 38 on the far side of needleshank 37 (FIG. 12), thus retaining the peg 32 securely into position.

In the channel formed between the two sides of the needle shank 37 is asliding ejector 40 the end of which is shaped obliquely so that upwardmovement of the ejector will tilt the peg 32 so that the lower extremity41 projects beyond the side of the needle shank 37. This ejector isoperated by a suitable cam (not shown) so that when the peg and needleshank start descending from the uppermost limit of motion the ejector 40remains stationary for such time as causes it to tilt the peg 32 into aroughly horizontal position. The ejector then moves with the needleshank 37 and as they withdraw through the material the peg 32 ispositioned on the surface of the material with serrations 42 engagingthe weave of the material.

FIG. 13 shows the needle shank 37 retracted to its lowest position andthe endmost peg 46 of an interconnected series of pegs 46, 47, 48,advanced so that firstly thread 45 is engaged in the recess 44 afterwhich the needle shank 37 (with ejector 40 retracted to its originalposition) moves to pick up the peg 46 and the blade 43 severs theinterconnecting filament between the peg 46 and the next peg 47.

As previously described, a finger passes above the tip of the united pegand needle shank to sweep the tensioned thread extending from thejust-completed stitch and trap it against the serrated abutment thusmoving the material in readiness for the next stitch.

Referring nowto the embodiment of FIGS. 14, 15, 16 and 17, FIG. 14 is avertical section parallel with the axis of a fixed tubular needle guide49 inside which a tubular needle 50 may slide axially. The needle 50 isprovided with a slot 51 (shown in FIG. 15 which is a view looking downon the needle tip in the direction of the arrow above FIG. 14) extendingdown the needle for such distance that it appears below the cloth beingsewn when the needle has penetrated to the fullest extent. The needle 50is also provided with an aperture 52.

Within the tubular needle 50 is a peg-holder 53 which may slide axiallywithin the needle. FIG. 14 shows the needle at its lowest position whenthe aperture 52 is aligned with a similar aperture 54 formed in theneedle guide 49. FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of the upper end of thepeg-holder 53.

A peg 55 is the leading peg of a series of identical pegs interconnectedby narrow filaments. In FIG. 14 the pegs have been advanced by anappropriate mechanism until the hooked end 56 of the peg 55 has engagedover the lip 57 formed in the peg-holder 53. A pawl 58 then retracts thenext peg 59 a short distance thus rupturing the fine connecting filamentand leaving broken ends 60 and 61.

The thread 62 comes from a reel via a tensioning device and up thechannel 63 in the peg-holder 53. During the peg location and severingoperations the linger 64 (shown in FIG. 17) sweeps across above the tipof the needle 50 and carries the tensioned thread 62 so as to trap itagainst the abutment 65 in the same manner as described in the precedingexamples. In so doing it moves the cloth 66 along ready for the nextstitch.

A suitable crank or cam mechanism slides the needle 50 and thepeg-holder 53 upwards. As the needle passes through the cloth 66 thethread 62 loops over the peg 55 locating in the U- shaped notch in thepeg 55 and passing down the channel 65 in the peg-holder 53, thischannel being aligned with the slot 51 in the needle 50.

Upward movement of both needle and peg-holder continue until the peg istotally above the upper surface of the cloth whereupon the peg-holder'smovement is arrested but the needle retracts through the material. Assoon as the needle tip is clear of the material the peg-holder starts toretract and in doing so allows the protruding end of the peg 55(terminating in broken filament end 60) to make contact with the surfaceof the material. Further downward movement of the pegholder 53 causesthe peg 55 to be tilted into the horizontal position. While thetensioned thread 62 slides over the peg 55 the peg is prevented fromrocking over by being located within side members 67 and 68 of thepeg-holder 53.

Finally the peg is seated firmly into the cloth preferably across theline of stitching and the peg-holder 53 withdraws into the needle so asto be ready to accept another peg from the series.

lclaim:

1. Sewing mechanism comprising:

a. a needle-reciprocating mechanism whereby a thread can be formed intoa loop through material to be stitched;

b. a source of pegs connected to one another to form an interconnectedseries of pegs;

a peg-holding member;

. peg-locating mechanism to locate the leading peg of said series onsaid peg-holding member;

. peg-severing mechanism to sever the leading peg from said series;

f. peg-ejector mechanism to actuate the peg-holding member and leavesaid leading peg in and transverse to said loop whereby said loop islocked against withdrawal; and

g. means coupling said needle-reciprocating, peg-locating, peg-severingand peg-ejector mechanisms to one another for synchronous operation.

2. Sewing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein all of saidmechanisms are arranged for operation to one and the same side ofmaterial to be stitched.

3. Sewing mechanism as claimed in claim 2, wherein said peg-holdingmember is in the form of a second needle.

4. Sewing mechanism as claimed in claim 3, wherein the ejector mechanismoperates to feed pegs along the second needle to the tip thereof, andsaid severing mechanism includes a cutting blade adjacent the end of thesecond needle remote from said tip.

5. Sewing mechanism as claimed in claim 2, wherein the peg-holdingmember constitutes part of a needle by which each said loop of thread isformed, and each said peg is pointed to constitute the tip of saidneedle when located 'on the peg-holding member.

6. Sewing mechanism according to claim 5, wherein said severingmechanism includes a cutting blade on said part.

7. Sewing mechanism according to claim 5, wherein said ejector mechanismincludes an ejector mounted inside said part for axial sliding motiontherein.

8. Sewing mechanism according to claim 2, wherein a hollow needle isprovided to form each said loop, said peg-locating member is locatedinside said hollow needle for axial slidthe located pcg from the series10. Sewing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein to hold material tobe stitched against the thrust of the needle or needles a finger isarranged to sweep the thread emerging from a stitch against a stop andto clamp it against the stop.

